A/N: My first semi-AU non-massacre-verse. Enjoy! Happy Holidays everyone!
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Standoff
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"You cant be serious!" The cry of a mother, begging her baby boy. "I did not raise my son to become canon fodder!" Her hysterical shout rattled the silent watchers more than they cared to admit.
There was a boy- now a man –once, who would have listened to her. Because his mother was everything to him when his brother had gone and his father had died of shame. He had once carried her along with his soul, keeping her safe within himself.
Now his world had more. He has new, different love; friendship. Something that had been oh so gladly forced upon him.
"Please Sasuke," Mikoto begged. He could not look at her, time was of the essence. He glanced at the door. Her eyes followed his; despite everything, Mikoto had been a kunoichi once too. "Naruto, Sakura. Come." They winced at her command but did exactly as she said, any less would be an insult to her. She jabbed a finger under Naruto's nose, he kept his eyes on her face. "It's because of them, isn't it?" A mother's irrational blame… "Just because they go doesn't mean-!"
"It is my duty!" The man shouted, raising his voice for the first time. Mikoto could count on one hand the amount of times she had had to raise her voice to him, let alone the other way around.
"You're no patriot!" she cried, tear tracks shining like liquid silver. "Why?" She wrung her hands, not knowing what to do with them and punched the granite countertop. There was a sickening crack.
Sakura moved to comfort the matriarch, a delicate hand on her bony first, soft and smooth from lack of use. The other fist belonging to the older woman flew. And though she could have, she did not dodge. The blow connected with her cheek. Sakura had no glass jaw, but the hatred in her friend's mother's eyes made her stumble back, winded. "This is your battle; not his. If you loved him then you would free him from whatever promise her made you!"
"Stop," Sasuke's eyes were dangerous and his voice cold as he clutched his mothers uninjured fist. "This is my home. I don't care what the council did. I have a life and home here. They are my family too."
Passionate; not an adjective one would typically use to describe the young shinobi. But Naruto and Sakura were everything. He owed them this and so much more for stopping his descent into darkness and becoming a man he would not recognize.
"What about your real family?!" Mikoto demanded, "Would you go against him for them?"
"I would," he replied with no hesitation, his voice chilling. "You adore them, Mom," Sasuke reminded her, speaking more gently now after the pause. "You know I'm right. Itachi is dead to me. Its time to move on."
He left Uchiha Mikoto on her knees.
As the three of them left the quiet compound Naruto spoke, "If I have to go back there and tell your mom that you're dead. Or your brother," he added for Sakura's benefit, "I'll bring you back and kill you myself. Seriously, don't die."
"If we have to tell Ino that her kid has no daddy, I'll bring you back and let her kill you." Sakura had always been the best of the three at making empty threats frightening.
"Just don't die," But Sasuke was always best at getting his point across.
Akatsuki was coming. Sound, not far behind.
And they were ready for them.
A/n: Okay.
Bright side: I believe I can driiiiiiive~! That's right bitchezz, I got my permit. Look who's all grown up and responsible - Moi! That's who.
(Right.)
Dark side: Cramps hurt like a bitch. Amirite? Uh huh.
West Side: Oooh the sun is pretty when it sets.
Yes, I'm aware I have a strange sense of humor and that this has nothing to do with anything.
But if it will make you feel better:
AND THEN THEY MADE OUT.
(Didn't see that one coming did you?)
Chag sameach! Bonne vacances! Happy holidays! Feliz navidad!
Oh yeah, quadri-lingual ^^